Luxury Cruise Ship Donates Recyclables to Tzu Chi

After watching the Da Ai channel on satellite television, interpreter Carolina Suarez and pianist Mr. Peter paid a visit to the Tzu Chi Foundation when their Royal Caribbean International cruise ship “Legend of the Seas” docked in Hualien.

After hearing about Tzu Chi’s ideals, Carolina Suarez went on to share them with Sofia Franciscus, the ship’s Environmental Officer. Without a second thought, Franciscus decided to donate the ship’s recyclables to Tzu Chi, adding that after learning of Tzu Chi’s ideals for humanity and the environment, she had found an organization she could trust.

From April 10th and 17th, the “Legend of the Seas” docked in Taichung and coordinated with Tzu Chi’s Taichung Chapter to donate a total of 11.6 tons of recyclable material.

After the recent cooperation Tzu Chi volunteers and the ship’s environmental personnel shared their experiences. Volunteer Tsai Shi-wen noted that Tzu Chi has over 260 recycling stations all over the world, so the ship can contact local Tzu Chi volunteers to pick up recyclables wherever it docks. Environmental Officer Miguel Barreto said, “Although I don’t know when I will be back in Taiwan, I will share this experience with other ships, so that everyone can take part in making a difference.”